De Mí a Usted
by KlonoaDreams
Summary: From me to you: It's one thing being reborn into the world of Hunter x Hunter, and it's definitely another when there's a language barrier in place. Add in some miscommunications and a dash of culture shock, and you're in for an unpleasant experience from which there is no escape. SI OC [Cover Art: kurobook]
1. Inicio

A/N Well, I don't have much to say…except here's the Hunter x Hunter SI OC fic that no one ever asked for from me!

 **Disclaimer for the entire story: I don't own** _ **Hunter x Hunter**_ **or anything related to the** _ **Hunter x Hunter**_ **franchise! I am in no ways Yoshihiro Togashi, nor will I ever be!**

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She was born aware—so very, very aware… Touch, sound, and even _taste_ —she was aware of it all. And it was no wonder why she wanted to scream and cry, because _it was so overwhelming and terrifying._

She could hear voices, speaking in a different language than the one she was accustomed to speaking (it was at least one she could understand). She could feel the soft cloth that had been wrapped around her body that was suddenly _so small_. She could taste the liquid substance excreting from the nub-like object that her mouth _refused_ to release, despite how much she tried.

All of this and there was absolutely nothing she could do about it. It was all happening in real-time. Life had no pause button. And life, as she had only just come to realize once she began to calm, had only just begun for her…for a second time.

 _You have got to be fucking kidding me…_

Only _she_ would have the luck of discovering that reincarnation was real by experiencing it herself. It was not worth the shock nor the fear. But what exactly could she do, considering that she was _just_ born?

 _Fuck all, that's what!_

She was honestly too exhausted to even deal with any of this—from both the birthing process (which _no_ person should **ever** undergo while aware) and the sudden introduction to her new life (her second one, to be more precise). All she wanted to do now, as she listened to the soft, feminine voice singing to her what sounded like a lullaby, was sleep. Little by little, the song slowly lulled her to sleep, but not without her having the chance of learning her name.

" _Go to sleep, my little Silvia…"_ Silvia—so that was her new name for this life…how pretty…

…

…

Hours later, Silvia awakes and cries out of hunger and discomfort from soiling herself. It absolutely sucks ass and reinforces the fact that, until she is old enough (physically, at the very least), Silvia is stuck relying on her parents to tend to her every need. And there is not a damn thing she could do about it.

 _It really sucks being a baby…_

Fortunately, for Silvia's sake, she spends the majority of her first year sleeping it away. She sleeps because she wants to, because there is not much to do and it helps pass the time (of which is passing by so painfully _slow_ ). She also sleeps because she is prone to headaches from listening in on the conversations around her at times. And of course, she sleeps because it's comfortable—just being so close to her mother's body, listening to the sound of the heartbeat that made her feel as though nothing was wrong. Even though she sometimes felt it was.

 _I died once already._

She doesn't really think much on the past—not when it makes her head _hurt so much_. She prefers to think about the present and maybe the possible future (she had goals to fulfill and one of them was to walk). She doesn't have much to think about, regarding her past life's final moments (she _had_ to have died in order to be reincarnated). It is a complete haze to her…but maybe it was better than knowing, because dying is never exactly something she'd _want_ to recall, if she was given the choice.

 _It probably hurt like a bitch._

By the time she turns one, Silvia is crawling. She has also started talking, having said the usual baby spiel of mama and papa only a couple of months ago. It was one of the rare occasions where she was awake and she almost regretted it, because of the attention it earned her. In Silvia's case, sometimes the extra attention induced a headache and it was never pleasant. Really, there just _had_ to be a downside to being a baby that was born knowing and understanding the spoken language.

At the very least, the headaches have started to lessen, allowing Silvia to stay awake much longer than usual. As a downside, there has been an introduction of an even worse pain that is unimaginably annoying: teething.

 _Fuck my life!_

Silvia is absolutely irritated from the pain that was associated with the eruption of pearly white teeth in her gums. She cannot wait for the day when it all stops and the day she can regain the independence she once took for granted.

 _I'm bored._

She has no nursery—just her parents, so it's quite easy for boredom to strike when not much happens. The boredom only worsens when Silvia memorizes the routine her parents seem to follow. And since sleeping no longer is as easy as it used to be, Silvia begins to listen again, albeit with care, and it is through listening that she learns the names of her parents.

Cecelia is the name of the young woman who carries Silvia on her back, using a long length of cloth as a makeshift baby sling. She is quite beautiful, with long, dark hair and brown skin. To Silvia, Cecelia seems rather young for a mother, for someone who appears barely in their late teens to early twenties (at least, in Silvia's opinion). And yet, Cecelia proves to be an excellent mother and never once struggles raising Silvia while Lucio is away.

Lucio is the name of the young man, about the same age as Cecelia, who Silvia regularly sees at the beginning and end of a day. His hair is a short, messy mop of dark brown and like Cecelia, his skin is also brown, but of a lighter shade, of which Silvia has inherited. Always appearing exhausted, but never once complaining (and Silvia would know, because she can understand what her parents are saying), Lucio is someone who intrigues Silvia because she never knows where he goes. He just leaves early in the morning and returns later in the evening, but never empty-handed.

What it is Lucio brings back, Silvia can't exactly say, though she assumes that it is food because Cecelia is never without any ingredients to cook (that is, when she _does_ cook). It isn't always food, of course. Sometimes, Lucio brings back material for Cecelia to make clothes, which is what she has been doing while she cares for Silvia. Oddly enough, the clothes are for neither of them to wear, but for Lucio to take with him whenever he leaves for the day.

One day, just a few months after Silvia's first birthday, when the weather is no longer as chilly as it had been and Silvia had taken her first wobbly steps, Lucio breaks the routine Silvia has memorized. He breaks it by switching places with Cecelia, so it is now Lucio who carries his daughter on his back. But it doesn't stop there.

Instead of staying home, as Silvia had expected Lucio to do, since Cecelia had long since gone, Lucio leaves as well. And for the first time in this life, Silvia finally catches a full glimpse of the world around her. Silvia is absolutely delighted with what is happening, and surprises her father when she suddenly squeals for seemingly no reason.

Lucio almost mistakes Silvia's outburst for one of distress. It is, after all, the first time Silvia has been separated from her mother. Fortunately, that is not the case and Lucio sighs in relief before lightly chiding his daughter for scaring him like that. He chuckles when he receives a laugh in response.

Soon, Silvia stops laughing as she takes in her surroundings and while she is certainly no stranger to the language spoken around her, the same cannot be said about her new environment.

 _Where am I?_

It sure as hell isn't Southern California, that's for damn sure. Where exactly Silvia is, she has no idea. All she can really do is observe and make inferences from there, as best as she could. From what she had managed to gather from her observation, it is a plain-looking hut that she and her father leaves.

Their hut is one of many in the area, all of which were seemingly identical in every way. Of course, if one were to look closely, they could notice the subtle differences, but Silvia is not in any way capable of noticing said differences. Her perspective is limited and the most she can really do to tell each hut apart is from watching the people that dwelled inside leave their homes.

The people, as Silvia continues to observe, are of a similar complexion to her, Lucio, and Cecelia. They are brown, but of varying shades, with dark hair of differing lengths and hairstyles. They wear similar clothes consisting of plain shirts and capri-like pants. It is not exactly what Silvia would call fashionable, but she could only assume that there was practicality associated with the garments.

 _Well, it's not as bad as it_ _ **could**_ _be…_

Laughter fills the air and snaps Silvia out of her train of thought as her eyes focus on the children running around, so freely without a care in the world. She envies them, for being able to run so easily, when she could barely take a few steps without landing flat on her face. One day, that'll be her, running alongside with them…today is just not that day.

For now, Silvia is somewhat content going wherever it is her father is going. Not that she really has a choice when she's stuck in a baby sling, but she isn't complaining. Silvia is just happy to see new things.

 _Because I am alive._

And Silvia will do whatever it takes to stay alive, because she is not one to pass up second chances.

…

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A/N It's a short chapter, but like…it feels right to end it here. Just keep in mind that I have a lot that I want to get off my chest, because I spent an _obscene_ amount of time researching information for this fic…and none of it has to do with _Hunter x Hunter_ canon material.

So like…I've been wanting to write a _Hunter x Hunter_ SI OC fic for some time when I started reading the manga in like…May of last year? Yeah…but I never really had a scenario in mind until literally this month when I just suggested the idea of a language barrier to separate Silvia, the SI OC for this fic, from the others.

In each of my SI OC stories so far, the thing they all shared in common is that they have ADHD (Combined hyperactive-impulsive and inattentive subtype) and are asexual, which means they do not experience sexual attraction (they _do_ , however, experience romantic attraction). The reason for this is because they are based off of me, being SI OCs (so keep that in mind when you're reading any SI OC fic I write). That being said, there has been one unique trait I have given to them that set them apart from each other before their personalities became distinct enough to differentiate them from one another.

 _Apathy_ 's Sawada Setsuna is chubby and fucking done with the world because her attempts to avoid becoming the anime have been futile, _Gone Fishing_ 's Mako is half fishman, _Metamorphosis's_ Aburame Shiki has asthma, and _Butterfly Child_ 's Akimichi Chōko is screwed over majorly by irony. Silvia got stuck with a language barrier that isn't really that apparent... **yet**.

So I'm always going off that I know like two other languages, besides English, so I just thought that maybe I should probably incorporate that into a fic _somehow_. And that's pretty much how you got this fic, because I have a lot of experiences with a language barrier (in regards to understanding my own parents in the past) to get off my chest in some form and absolutely no self-control, because as a communication major, this fic is hitting off many of the things I've found interesting. So expect me to nerd out in some way—just expect it.

For now, I'm keeping things vague as possible when it comes to the language that Silvia understands in this fic. If you guys have been reading my A/Ns and paying attention to my posts on tumblr, then it shouldn't be too hard to figure out. Otherwise, just wait and see, because it'll pop up eventually.

That's about all I have for now and I want to thank **Plouton** for helping me out with this fic (check out their fics while you're at it). And just because, a special mention goes to **deletrear** , for their awesome _Hunter x Hunter_ fics keeping me motivated to write this fic! Just…check them both out, they're really awesome, okay?

That's about all I have for now and I will try to get the next chapter up when I can, so until next time, everyone! KD out! XD


	2. Historia

Silvia is absolutely speechless when color is introduced to her life—color of which happens to come from the forest her father had taken them. She sees vibrant greens and some splashes of other colors here and there. She notices there's a different scent in the air that just feels so _refreshing_. It feels slightly chilly, though that could be the moisture in the air. Silvia really wouldn't know and right now, she doesn't really care, because—because!

 _I'm happy!_

Silvia can't help but laugh, because she just can't contain herself. She's just so… _happy_.

" _You like what you see, little one?"_ Lucio sounds rather amused and chuckles when he receives another laugh from his daughter as a response. _"Then you'll probably like what happens next."_

 _What?_

Silvia stops laughing almost immediately. Her father's words confuse her—just what exactly did he mean by that? Silvia gets her answer about half an hour later, when her father has taken the both of them deeper into the forest. They are not alone, as there are others with them.

There are young men around Lucio's age, some of whom are carrying toddlers on their backs like him. There are men that are older, ranging from mid-twenties to late thirties, some of whom also carry toddlers on their backs. There are also women amongst them of varying ages and like the men, there are some that carry toddlers on their backs.

The teenagers are the only ones who seem to be truly alone…at first glance. Some of the teenagers stand out by the groups of children that accompany them. The children couldn't be any older than five or six, with the teenagers they followed being between the ages of thirteen to seventeen.

It is a lot to take in and Silvia's observations are interrupted when her father begins to stretch out his body, his movements distracting Silvia because she is attached to his back. It's unsettling at first, because Silvia's first reaction is to cling as tightly as she can onto her father's shirt. She makes a face when she hears him laugh. Eventually, she starts to laugh because of how much fun she's having.

But then she stops when she notices that Lucio has stopped stretching. It only occurs then to Silvia that she has absolutely no idea why her father was even stretching in the first place. As before, Silvia soon gets an answer to the question she has in mind—but within mere seconds this time.

Lucio wastes no time and starts scaling up the large tree he had been standing in front of this entire time. It takes Silvia more than a minute to realize what is happening, but by then, the distance between her and her father from the ground is now more than a few feet. And ever so quickly, does the distance continue to grow as Lucio continues to move up, **with Silvia still on his back**.

 _What the fuck?!_

Alarms are blaring through Silvia's head as she looks down, tears welding up in the corners of her eyes as her heart pounds rapidly within her chest. She doesn't like heights—she _hates_ them. She hates them because of the fear she has of falling from such a height.

 _I don't like this._

Silvia's grip on her father's shirt tightens. She can't seem to find her voice, so she hopes her actions speak up for her. She hopes her father notices her distress— _anything_ that would get the two of them back on the ground where it was _**safe**_.

Lucio does notice, but instead of moving downward, as Silvia had hoped, he continues to move upwards. He at least reassures Silvia that everything will be fine—that he'll make sure nothing goes wrong.

It does nothing to ease Silvia's anxiety. In fact, it only worsens it as Silvia feels betrayal instead of reassurance from her father's words.

 _Why is he doing this?!_

 _Why?_

 _Whywhywhy_ _ **whywhy**_ _?!_

 _Why is no one stopping him?!_

 _This is not fine!_

Tears roll down Silvia's cheeks. She tries her hardest not to cry—tries her best to ignore the sick feeling in the pit of her stomach.

 _Help, help,_ _ **help**_ _,_ _ **helpHELP**_ _!_

 _I'm scared!_

 _ScaredscaredscaredSCARED_ _ **SOSCARED**_ _!_

Silvia tries…and she _fails_ when Lucio stumbles for a moment. They are so far from the ground, that a fall could seriously injure them. Lucio might have not fallen, but the idea that he could have when he stumbled refuses to leave Silvia's mind. So she cries. She cries because she has reached her limit.

Silvia's wailing echoes throughout the forest, but no one bats an eye—not even when the other toddlers begin to wail as well. Everyone continues what they are doing, with the adults continuing to scale the trees as they do their best to ignore the distressed wails of the toddlers that are amongst them.

The children are rather annoyed, but the teenagers instruct them to get used to it. After all, it won't be the first time it happens, so it is best they get used to it now.

" _Don't think we haven't forgotten that you were all like them once, many seasons ago!"_ a fifteen-year-old girl with pitch-black hair scolds a five-year-old boy who won't stop complaining. _"Everyone stops crying eventually—otherwise, you wouldn't be here with us."_

The complaints regarding the crying toddlers ceases instantly after that. Instead, the children complain about something else—they complain about how difficult it is to climb a tree, when the teenagers make it look so _easy_. It is from here that the teenagers explain what it is the children are doing wrong and what they can do the next time they try.

Time passes and eventually, the wailing does stop. The toddlers are either asleep or shouting out every little thing that catches their attention. In Silvia's case, she hasn't really stopped crying. She sniffs every minute or so, still clutching onto her father's shirt as tightly as she can. Her hands are hurting, but she refuses to loosen her grip.

By now, Lucio is no longer climbing and instead, he is walking from branch to branch, so high up in the air, without any hesitance whatsoever. Not even the fact that he is carrying a toddler on his back is affects the confidence he has with every step he takes. If anything, it's what's been slowing him down, as Lucio usually takes less time to get where he is now. But Lucio doesn't complain—instead, he starts to talk to his daughter, congratulating her on a job well done.

Even if Silvia is too young to fully understand what it is he is saying, Lucio still continues to talk. Because Lucio feels the tone in his voice is enough on its own to get the message across to his daughter. Of course, Silvia isn't like most toddlers her age, so she understands everything.

It confuses Silvia at first—because it is the last thing she ever expects. But the intended effect it has is not unwelcomed. The longer she listens to her father's words, the more she starts to feel… _proud_. No one is scolding her for overreacting…nor is anyone telling her to stop crying. She is allowed to cry as long as she wants, because she is terrified—and she still is.

 _But that's okay._

It's okay, because her father says it's okay. And while Silvia is only a year old, it still does mean a lot to her. Somehow…she has a feeling this won't be the last time she hears these words from her father. Nor will it be the last time that her father nonchalantly climbs a tree with his daughter on his back.

 **And it isn't.**

 _God dammit._

Fortunately, Silvia eventually overcomes her fear. _Unfortunately_ , the way she overcomes her fear is through constant exposure to high heights. It had a desensitizing effect on her and while it isn't a pleasant experience altogether ( _too many fucking close calls_ ), it got the job done. Rather than fret over it, Silvia embraces her newfound courage, as she now has one less fear holding her back.

Of course, with her worries no longer distracting her, Silvia comes to memorize the new routine she and her father now have. And so boredom ensues, despite the fact that one wrong step could mean serious injuries for both Silvia and Lucio…Silvia doesn't think too much on it. She'd rather not…

Instead, Silvia focuses on the eggs Lucio collects from the nests they come across while they are up in the trees. The nests are made out of the typical nesting material that Silvia expects, but the size is much more massive than anything she has ever seen before. The clutch of eggs is also more numerous and the size of the eggs are slightly larger than that of a chicken egg.

The eggs come in brown and white, and as easy as it seems for Lucio to collect as many eggs as he can carry, he has to check each of them under the bright sunlight before he takes any. It is a slow and tedious process that takes more than an hour for Lucio to accomplish. It is as boring as it sounds and Silvia is absolutely delighted when the day comes that she is allowed to move as freely as she can within the nest—with limitations, of course. What those limitations are involve the rope that is tied around Silvia's waist that connects her to her father.

Memories flash within Silvia's mind each time she feels a tug on the rope around her waist. It's not that much different from the child harness Silvia once wore in her past life. The only difference is that Silvia isn't trying to run off as she had, in her past life, which is the very reason _why_ she had been put in a child harness in the first place. In fact, the tug comes from her father, who only wants to remind his daughter to stay within his sight.

Lucio is a very cautious man, which Silvia finds ironic, considering how far from the ground they are. He is also a good teacher, as Silvia finds out when her curiosity gets the better of her. He teaches her which eggs are good for taking and which eggs are best left behind.

It is a lot for a one-year-old to take in, but Silvia isn't like others her age. And Lucio seems to notice, from the way he continues to teach her little tidbits of information. He has a fun time teaching her words, because her tongue is not yet used to being used in such a way. He laughs when she cannot roll her R's.

Silvia is not amused and throws an egg at her father out of annoyance. She pouts when Lucio catches the egg without any difficulties. He continues to laugh and congratulates Silvia for choosing a good egg. She snorts, feeling somewhat satisfied, but still irritated to some extent.

 _I'll get it one day…_

Sometimes, it isn't eggs they collect, but fruit. Like the eggs, the fruit isn't anything Silvia has seen before. There are many she sees that she does not recognize, but one stands out the most as her favorite. Her favorite fruit is like an amalgam of various fruits she had seen in her past life. It had a hard shell that reminded her of a coconut, but it was more colorful and required less force to break. The inside reminded her of a watermelon, with how red the flesh was…but the texture reminded her of a peach. It was soft, yet firm, and was sweet, but not too sweet.

It was fucking weird as hell…but tasty. Too bad most of what Lucio collected went elsewhere, as only a small portion of it was taken home. Where it is that most of what everyone collects at the end of each day goes, Silvia does not know, but she can hear something regarding trading and business at the center of Historia.

Historia, by the way, happens to be the name of Silvia's new home. It's a nice name that feels rather meaningful, but for what reason, Silvia cannot say. Not yet, at least…she'll figure it out eventually. For now, another question arises that Silvia has in mind. She finally knows where it is her father has been going each and every day…but where is it that Cecelia goes each day, while Lucio and Silvia are in the forest?

 _Hell if I know…_

Wherever it is, it must be pretty hectic for Cecelia to return covered in bandages made out of cloth and smelling so strongly of medicinal ointment. Her smile never wavers and she continues to act as if nothing wrong had happened. And really, it seems that way, too—because whatever injuries she had sustained never scarred. Once the bandages were off, that was that.

When Silvia asks her mother, as best as she could with her sloppy pronunciation, Cecelia just laughs and says she'll find out when she's older.

 _I don't like the sound of that…_

Time passes and the weather changes from moderately warm to stifling hot. It doesn't take Silvia too long to realize that summer had come. The days were now longer with the heat being practically unbearable and the sun uncomfortably bright.

The forest is no longer as welcoming as it used to be, now that the air had turned so humid. And with no fans or air conditioner to ease the summer heat, Silvia is in complete hell.

Thankfully, Lucio is no longer climbing trees for the season. Instead, he is fishing, which gives Silvia access to the cool waters of a running river. While her father fishes, Silvia splashes away in the shallow waters, laughing because she is having _so much fun_!

Silvia has the time of her life just looking at her own reflection in the water. She notices that her looks are not that much different from her past life's. Of course, there is a noticeable exception regarding her skin tone (her skin tone is darker in this life), but other than that, everything is still the same. She still had the same round chocolate brown eyes and dark, brown hair that curled at the ends. Her nose is still small and her face retains its round shape, though her cheeks are chubby from baby fat.

But her facial features resemble Cecelia's the most. If anything, Silvia takes after her father in coloration—not that she really minds…

…

Okay, maybe she does—but _only_ because Silvia knows that her mother's hair isn't as dark as it appears. Under a certain angle in the light, Cecelia's hair has subtle purple undertones that are _natural_. How does Silvia know they are natural?

Because no one in the lower class can afford any hair dye—if it even exists in Historia. By the by, social classes—they are certainly a thing in Historia, much to Silvia's immense displeasure. She knows not much about it, except for the fact that she and her family, as well as everyone else around them, are at the bottom of the social hierarchy. The signs are in the clothes they wear, as well as their dwellings—not that there is anything wrong with that.

It is just something that Silvia has noticed when her father took her to the center of Historia to conduct business with a middle-aged man from the middle class. The clothes the man wore were certainly more colorful and fashionable in comparison to the plain clothes Silvia and Lucio wear. Silvia knows not of what the upper class wear, or what they look like. All she knows, through the boasting she has heard, is that the children from her class have a habit of stealing from upper-class children—meaning that they _exist_.

In any case, Cecelia wouldn't be able to afford any luxuries, such as hair dye—just the necessities, of which she, and everyone else in the same class, obtains through trade. So her hair color is, in fact, quite natural. And Silvia quite envies how unique it is.

 _Stupid normal hair colors…_

Eventually, Silvia begins to walk. Her steps are no longer as wobbly as they had been before, but they are still not as stable as they could be. It is still easy for Silvia to lose her balance and tumble onto the ground. Even so, she does not mind…because everything has become so bearable.

 _I can get used to this._

And then comes the day when Silvia finds herself being taught how to catch a fish without a fishing line—she is supposed to catch it with her bare hands. It is in no way fun, because Silvia does not like killing animals—she just does not. She ends up crying when the fish her father has caught stops moving right in front of her fucking face.

 _I just watched something die._

Even if it is just a fish, Silvia still feels _something_ from its death. So she continues to cry, while her father struggles to calm her down. Lucio decides to teach Silvia how to fish some other day, when she doesn't get so distressed from seeing it die right before her eyes.

…

It takes an entire week before Silvia finally gets over the idea of killing a fish. Her father even teaches her how to prepare it, because that was what she was going to have for lunch. At first, everything seems fine. Sure, tears are streaming down Silvia's eyes as she eats her cooked fish—but she got it done. And that's what mattered to Lucio!

If only Silvia didn't throw up her lunch ten minutes after she had finished eating… Well, it was good while it lasted, but at the very least, Lucio was on the right track with Silvia. Just a little more time—that's all Silvia needed. And Lucio was willing to wait.

Besides, Silvia is too small to catch a fish on her own. Just one fish alone is difficult for the child to carry in her arms, due to its size. Just being able to cook one was enough for Silvia…at least, that's how Lucio felt.

After all, not many fathers can boast that their children can do so and so at twenty months.

…

…

…

* * *

A/N I should be working on my cover letter and resume for my technical writing class, but naaaaaah…have another chapter. And what's this? Oh, it's the world building I did a shit ton of research for! AHHHHH, it is DONE, and HERE, and just…ahhh…

So like, I noticed the lack of dialogue in these past chapters and I dunno about you guys, but like…it kinda feels right? Ehhh, whatever…anyways, if there's one thing I'd like to point out, it's that Silvia doesn't know that she's in the world of Hunter x Hunter. She's already picking up on the fact that the world she lives in now is much different from the one in her past life. Just…keep that in mind—it's kinda important.

So social classes—they exist in Historia and this is pretty much what **Plouton** and I have been talking about during the past two weeks or so. We just…had a lot to share with each other and…this is the result. Historia, by the by, is of my creation—this is what I meant by material that is not canon.

In Historia, your life is determined by where you are born. In Silvia's case, she has a life of hunting (which is what her mother does, if you haven't caught on—I wouldn't blame you) and gathering (which is what her father does) ahead of her, being part of the lower class. This is why her father is showing her the ropes—he doesn't question if she is too young to understand. There is nothing strange to him about that—he's just really proud his little girl is so smart.

I know I'm still being vague as fuck (especially when it comes to the spoken language), but I'll get into deeper detail on these things as I progress further into the story. For now, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. I sure did, so until next time, everyone! KD out! XD


	3. Extrañar

Eventually, much like her initial aversion to heights, Silvia becomes desensitized, so she is no longer as disturbed as she had been originally when she killed and cooked a fish. She still doesn't like the idea of killing an animal, but at the very least, it is anything but a senseless death. It eases her conscience as she collects the fishes her father throws on the ground for her to gather up and put in a nearby basket.

She shrieks when she finds out the fish in her arms is still alive somehow. It squirms violently in her arms and manages to slap Silvia a few times in the face with its tail. It hurts like a _bitch_ , but Silvia refuses to loosen the hold she has on the fish. Instead, in a small fit of anger, Silvia freaking body slams the fish onto the rocky ground—effectively killing it in the process.

It is as messy as one expects and Silvia is grossed out because she is covered in blood, and now stinks of dead fish.

 _Ew, eww,_ _ **ewww**_ _!_

Silvia almost wants to cry…but Lucio's laughter is enough to distract her. Silvia makes a face as she sees nothing funny about her situation…okay, maybe she does. In hindsight, getting slapped in the face by a fish's tail _is_ something she finds hilarious. So she starts to laugh.

When Silvia and Lucio returned home that evening, Cecelia questions why it is her husband is shirtless and why Silvia is wearing his shirt like a dress. After Cecelia is told what happened, she starts to laugh and pats Silvia on the back for a nice kill.

 _I should find this disturbing…_

But Silvia does not. Instead, she feels…proud.

…

Near the end of the summer, there comes a day when everyone in the lower class breaks their usual routine. While they still accomplish their everyday tasks, none of what they collect is going to the center of Historia. Instead, it is used for the feast that people are working together to make.

The children are talking to each other while the teenagers and adults do most of the work. Silvia is amongst these children, because, according to what her father told her mother, she needs to interact with children near or around her age. Now Silvia would be doing just that, were it not for the fact that she is absolute _shit_ at socializing with strangers.

 _Some things never change…_

And it's the reason why Silvia has a hard time trying to say anything to the children who try to talk to her. Thinking that she couldn't yet talk, Silvia is left alone while the children commence their usual antics. What those antics are involve the very hobby each child, above the age of five, has, which is stealing from the upper class. The older children talk more about what they have recently stolen, with younger children looking at them in awe.

Silvia is astonished beyond belief when she sees the older children teaching the younger children how to _steal_ , using a necklace and a couple of rings and bracelets that have been recently obtained for practice. She sees younger children being congratulated for improving their skills—meaning it isn't the first time it has happened—who are then told that they are almost ready for the real thing.

Not once, has Silvia heard anyone talking about the value of the stolen items. All she hears are words, such as difficulty, ease, tricky, and the like, to describe the theft. She hears of how it was done and the laments regarding other items they wanted to steal, but couldn't.

The way they all talk—the way they treat the subject…

 _It's almost as if this is a game to them…_

A disturbing thought crosses Silvia's mind, in that maybe…it _is_ a game to these children. After all, they don't care about the value of an item—they cared about the skill used to steal the item from a person belonging to the upper class. Like competitive gamers talking about their achievements.

 _This is so unreal!_

But it's reality—it's _her_ reality. And there's not much she can do about it. All she can do is listen and watch. And, disturbingly enough, Silvia begins to grow curious as to what she sees and hears. So when a seven-year-old girl starts teaching her the basics of stealing as a joke, Silvia takes advantage of it… And in turn, the seven-year-old girl takes her teaching seriously upon noticing that Silvia can understand.

Soon, the other children began to group around Silvia in their attempts to teach her more before the sun began to set. They are eager to have a new face to guide around the center of Historia, where upper class children and adults like to flaunt around their belongings like the arrogant bastards they are described to be. After all, the younger one is, the more likely one is underestimated.

 _And being underestimated makes everything even easier._

In her past life, Silvia might have once thought stealing was bad…but she always had her exceptions. And it seems those exceptions have carried over to this new life of hers, because she has absolutely no remorse over the idea of stealing from a person who is much more privileged than she is. Not when she hears that the upper class barely even reacts to having anything of theirs stolen.

All that happens is that the item is replaced and life goes on as usual for the upper class. It is the middle class that benefits from this, as it is they who the upper class go to for wares. For that reason alone, they appreciate the antics of the lower class children and will turn an eye, should they see a lower class child stealing from someone in the upper class. After all, without the lower class children, the middle class wouldn't have much use for items that only the upper class can afford.

It's fucking weird, Silvia thinks. But it also makes sense. In her new home, things work differently. And from what she has started to notice, is that not many people talk about anything outside of Historia. Always, it involves what is within.

Once the sun has set, people began to tell stories to each other. They have divided themselves up into many groups and gathered around many campfires, of which have been recently set up by teenagers. Everyone is eating as they listen, laughing or gasping in reaction to what they hear.

Silvia is back with her parents and having the time of her life eating a taco her mother had just made for her. She has no idea what kind of meat she is even eating that's in the corn tortilla, but she enjoys it nonetheless. Nostalgia hits hard in the most comforting of ways.

The heat is not as stifling as it usually is during the day and the ambience is quite pleasant. The sky continues to darken until it is a deep, dark blue. It is then, that the numerous stars become visible, illuminating the night sky.

The fire burns brightly behind the person sharing their story to the group that has circled around them. The person is an old woman with the most peculiar hair color that Silvia has ever seen. Her hair is a faded blue instead of what Silvia expects, which is the usual gray and white that comes with age.

The old woman speaks of a time when life was much more dangerous—a life that she had grown up hearing about through the stories of the elders from her childhood. Despite how long it has been since things had changed, the old woman cautions every one of every age to never forget. Because once it is forgotten, it is completely lost to the passage of time.

Silvia doesn't think she can ever forget—not with what she has heard. She can definitely tell now (if she hadn't already), that this world of hers is not the same world from her past life. It's a sad discovery she makes that dims her mood ( _just a bit_ ). But she quickly shakes it off as she gulps down the cool liquid in the clay cup she holds in her hands.

The liquid is of a deep magenta color and is very sweet, with a refreshing aftertaste. Memories flood back into Silvia's head as she continues to drink, reminding her of a time she once spent with the family she left behind in her previous life. Even though she can no longer return from whence she came, Silvia is not too distraught. Not when she can still see traces of her previous life in this one, as she is finding out with the foods and drinks she consumes.

Some things might be different, but overall, they are still the same.

 _I'm content…_

Silvia is seconds away from dozing off in her mother's arms when she hears something that catches her attention. She suppresses a yawn that wants to leave her mouth as she tries to listen closely to what the old woman is saying. She blinks when she hears about outsiders and the upper class. She is quite confused, but continues to listen, in hopes of receiving answers.

She learns that it has not been too long since outsiders from beyond the forest that encompasses all of Historia have arrived. Others began to pitch in, talking about people who wear clothing different from theirs and speak words they cannot understand (which Silvia assumes means it's a language none of them know). An eleven-year-old boy with long, dark hair that possessed red undertones speaks fondly of items he has seen being sold by middle-class shopkeepers.

The items are said to have come from the interactions between the outsiders and upper class. It is nothing that the boy can afford nor something he necessarily needs—but it is something he wants. What it is he wants in particular, he does not know nor does he even think he can get it. He is mostly content with just looking, as are some of his friends who accompany him.

Silvia thinks about what she has heard a lot. She thinks about it even days after she has first heard about it. As she does, she recalls what she has noticed—in that no one ever talks about what goes on beyond Historia. How it's always from within.

 _What the hell's going on?_

Silvia does not know…but she would like to know. It is a desire that only grows stronger as time passes by. Soon, she is two years old and the forest surrounding Historia appears as if it is on fire, with its bright, red leaves that denote the arrival of autumn.

Leaves fall to the ground and Silvia now helps her father collect mushrooms and roots. She is taught which mushrooms to avoid and which to take. She is later taught how to dry fruit and meat. Silvia clutches the faded blue cloth that is wrapped around her upper body in reaction to the chilly breeze.

It's almost like a shawl, but not it's not—it's a rebozo, one that another child had previously worn before it was handed off to Cecelia to give to Silvia. For the lower class, new clothing is a rarity. What everyone wears has most likely been worn by someone else. Hand-me-down's are the norm, and what surprises Silvia the most is how damn durable their clothing is.

The lower class sacrifices fashion for practicality and durability. Footwear is only worn when needed. For people who climb trees and walk on rocky and rough terrain, they wear it year-round, while everyone else saves it for when the weather is especially hot or turns cold.

Silvia has an awkward time breaking in her sandals, but gets used to it quickly as she plays in the leaves. Her father watches her with a smile as he gathers up the last of the scarlet-colored berries he has picked from a bush. He leaves a considerable amount behind—for the wildlife that live within the forest.

Lucio treasures the moments he has now with Silvia. He treasures them because, come next spring, Silvia is to be left behind while he and Cecelia leave for the forest. Silvia is too old for Lucio to keep her around for anymore tree climbing sessions. She is also too young to go with Cecelia—it will be some time before Silvia can be taken along for any hunting sessions.

Silvia is limited what she can do, depending on the season…but at the very least, she won't be alone. Lucio can guarantee that.

…

Winter comes and Silvia spends each night under the blankets with her parents. Sharing body heat is essential. And when the times comes for a repeat of late summer's events, with the making of food and telling of stories, people now gather around the fires for warmth and let one another lean on their shoulders.

Silvia listens eagerly for any more word on the outsiders. She is quite curious, but not yet ambitious enough to start asking questions on her own. She sips the hot, thick liquid in her clay mug as she continues to listen. It is slightly sweet and tastes faintly of chocolate.

 _I remember this drink._

Silvia smiles as nostalgia overwhelms her senses. She still misses the life she left behind, but she feels she'll be okay.

 _I'm okay._

…

…

…

* * *

A/N Heyo, here's another chapter and fun fact about the chapter's title is that it can both mean "to miss" and "to surprise"—something like that. Lol, Spanish is kinda weird and yeah, in case you haven't noticed, the language Silvia and everyone in Historia speaks is Spanish. More specifically, it's Mexican Spanish (and yes, there IS a difference), but yeah…Historia has a Mexican influence. It's kinda sorta the HxH equivalent of Mexico, but not? Ehh, just take my word on that.

Anyways, as you can see, stories have a lot of importance in Historia and that fits in with the name, since historia can mean history or story (or a few other things—it has multiple meanings). Class differences are still a thing and I don't know if you've guys been picking up on it, but Historia's kinda isolated. Like, reaaaaallly isolated, and I won't exactly say who the outsiders are just yet, so feel free to guess and what not. Oh and yeah, kids be stealing, but it's not exactly frowned upon in here, so don't consider morality when it comes to that situation. It's just best to let it be. Once again, many thanks to **Plouton** for helping me out with all of this!

Thank you so much to those who have been reviewing! It really means a lot to hear from you guys, especially since I'm still pretty new to this fandom. Just for the hell of it, is there anything you're looking forward to from me when it comes to this fic?

So I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, until next time! KD out! XD


	4. Colores

Deep within the forest, there is a clearing filled in abundance with various herbs and plants. It is here that Silvia spends the remaining days of winter with her father, picking medicinal herbs from the field. She is taught which herb is which and how to differentiate them from one another. Some of them looked alike, but possessed different scents or flowers. Some were better for ingestion while others better for topical application.

Silvia learns a lot from Lucio as the two continue to pick herbs with each passing day. The field is rather wet from the morning dew and initially, Silvia is completely annoyed when her feet get wet. As the days go by, she adjusts and sometimes, she likes the dew. It's chilly, but Silvia finds it refreshing. But there are still those days where the wetness just annoys the utter crap out of her.

Silvia also learns how to tend to the tiny sprouts that begin to grow from the seeds she and her father had planted, to replace the plants that had been uprooted a few days earlier. She's certainly busy, but there's nothing really boring about what she does. There's always something for her to do, which is great because sometimes, she _cannot_ stay still. She gets into everything, much to her father's slight discomfort.

Lucio mostly worries Silvia might accidentally step on one of the sprouts. She doesn't…but he still worries. On the bright side, at least Silvia returns home smelling nice enough to drown out the strong scent that comes from the medicinal ointment that is applied to Cecelia's injuries. It probably helps that Silvia likes to run through the field of plants that possess a rather pleasant fragrance that clings easily onto her clothes and hair.

Amongst other things that cling to Silvia's hair are leaves and petals from the plants. Lucio has no idea how the hell it happens, but he may have seen his daughter napping from time to time in that particular patch of plants. She wasn't the only child sleeping in the patch, as Lucio could make out other children sleeping nearby.

Lucio is reminded of when he was his daughter's age, back when both of his parents were still alive (accidents happen—it was just terrible luck that it was such a huge accident…). He can't help but laugh when his daughter finally wakes up and returns to his side. Her hair is all over the place, stray curls here and there. She says nothing when he ruffles her hair, entangling his fingers into her thick hair. He notes that her hair is getting longer and then takes a moment to look at his own hair. It, too, has gotten longer…much longer than he is used to.

Of course, Lucio doesn't mind—not when it gives Silvia something to do, while he is organizing the herbs he's picked. He pays no attention to the flowers that are messily braided into his hair until he and Silvia arrive home. Because that's when Cecelia usually laughs from the sight she is greeted with, when her husband and daughter return. Later in the evening, Cecelia could usually be found combing out Lucio and Silvia's hair—it gives her something to do and she appreciates it.

Even though Silvia soon memorizes yet another routine (there always seems to be a routine), she is not bored with this one. She finds comfort in the routine, instead… It is probably why, when the day that spring finally arrives comes, Silvia is beyond confused and even distraught when her father leaves her with a group of children around her age. She is distraught, because she has no idea why her father is leaving her behind. She even starts to cry once he's completely out of sight, much to the distress of the eleven-year-old boy who was named after the color of his long hair—Rojo.

Rojo is not one to like being left around with so many children. Too bad he has no say in who it is that is left behind to watch the children who couldn't go into the forest with their parents. So here he is, trying his best to calm the crying two-year-old girl in his care. He really wants her to stop—because her crying is distressing the other children. They are just so easy to influence when they are between the ages of two and four…

Fortunately, stories always seem to be the solution to distracting children (course, the same could be said about him or anyone else, for that matter). So when he starts talking about the cool things he has seen being sold by middle class shopkeepers, the crying stops instantly. There are a few sniffs here and there, but they eventually stop as he continues.

It takes Silvia not that long to recognize Rojo as the same boy she encountered last summer. His hair is rather distinctive, being so long and of a rather brilliant color when the light strikes it from a certain angle. Even though Silvia hasn't interacted with the boy much, she still remembers him. And it is because she remembers him that Silvia realizes she could potentially learn more about the outsiders from him.

So, as a result, Rojo finds himself being pestered by a two-year-old girl as he tries his best to teach the children about managing crops, using one of the many empty fields in the area for practice. He is only fortunate that the children quickly pick up on it because he is quite terrible at explaining things with words (he is much better at showing, than telling). It probably helps that there are older children within the group who have experience from last year and the years before still fresh in their minds.

He's not that surprised that the seeds have all been planted by midafternoon. It really doesn't take that much time, with so many children around. It's not that difficult of a job to begin with, either. It's just practice for the future, when the children are old enough to venture into the forest to manage the crops that are thriving in the many clearings that are scattered about.

With nothing much to do, Rojo decides to indulge the two-year-old girl's curiosity. And, as a result, the other children soon gather around for an impromptu story time of some sort. Rojo feels he should be annoyed—but he's not, which is honestly a first.

By the end of the day, he learns Silvia's name and decides…she's not that bad. Though, as the days go by, Rojo's opinion begins to change when the two-year-old _refuses_ to leave him alone. Verde is a green-haired boy with a small mole under his left eye, about the same age as Rojo. Like Rojo, Verde is also stuck watching over a group of children, so when he sees Rojo getting pestered by a two-year-old girl, Verde laughs and begins to tease the red-haired boy because he's got nothing better to do. This earns the green-haired boy a handful of mud thrown at his face—courtesy of Silvia, who acts completely on an impulse.

It is only after Silvia has thrown the mud that she regrets what she does…until Azul, a blue-haired girl around the same age as Verde and Rojo, jumps in and instigates a mud fight that instantly gets the children's attention. Silvia just goes with the flow and has a fun time, despite how much it _irks_ her to have mud in her hair. Rojo's opinion of Silvia changes once more by the end of that day and within a few weeks, Rojo becomes completely fine with the idea of the two-year-old girl sticking by his side.

It probably helps that most of the other children prefer to stick with Azul, who teaches them how to steal. Verde does a better job at ensuring the children learn how to manage crops correctly, by making use of the children who already have experience. Everyone has more free time, as a result. Really, managing crops isn't that hard of a task—though, it helps that everyone works together, but the point still stands.

Rojo tries his best to tell Silvia as much as he could about the outsiders, but he really doesn't know much besides the items he sees in the shops. Verde only confirms as he sits down next to Rojo, who doesn't appreciate the sudden proximity as he deliberately places Silvia in between them. Silvia blinks a few times and laughs.

 _This isn't so bad._

And really, it isn't. Because now Silvia isn't alone—she ends up making friends with the preteens by the end of the month. She learns a lot more, since Verde notices how quick she is to pick up on things. He teaches her how to steal, because that's what Azul is doing with the other children and it's what Silvia wants to learn. Rojo insists on helping out and without his way of providing visual examples to Verde's explanations, Silvia wouldn't have learned so quickly.

 _Unfortunately_ , Azul soon figures out what is going on and being as competitive as she is, she makes it her goal to find out who, out of the three of them, is the better teacher. Silvia quickly finds herself shoved into a competition of sorts against children Azul has taught— _just_ to find out who the better thief. At first, Silvia doesn't mind and she thinks Verde and Rojo are overreacting with the way they try to persuade Azul to back down and groan when she refuses. Then she realizes she's dead wrong when Azul demands a rematch immediately after the first three losses.

One would think Silvia would pull out the instant she experiences her first loss after five consecutive wins, so as to put an end to this. That would be a smart decision to make—one that flies over Silvia's head, because she's just as competitive to a fault and too stubborn enough to listen to reason as she demands a rematch until she wins. And it is the exact moment that Silvia wins that Azul demands a rematch, continuing what appears to be the start of a never-ending cycle.

It goes on for an entire week, up until a ten-year-old girl by the name of Amarillo steps in and puts a stop to it all. For someone whose name means yellow, Amarillo possesses the strangest hair that is just so _orange_. Silvia finds herself distracted with this thought as Amarillo lectures Azul, who may or may not be embarrassed with this. Meanwhile with Verde and Rojo, they are absolutely relieved and hope it never happens again—and it doesn't, because Amarillo refuses to leave now that she has gotten involved.

The days pass by almost too quickly, now that Silvia has something to do. It's never a boring day whenever these four preteens are involved, after all. No one even thinks twice of her, for how precocious she usually is. Everyone takes it in stride without any question and Silvia can't help but feel relieved.

Her speaking improves out of spite, in reaction to the many times Verde teases her for mispronouncing a word. She's speaking more than she would have ever done in her past life. Of course, it helps that Silvia has nowhere to isolate herself from others nor a computer with functioning internet to distract her. Even so, it's still exhausting for someone as introverted as her to interact as much as she has.

So it's not that much of a surprise to find Silvia fast asleep by the time her father comes around to pick her up. Lucio finds it endearing that Silvia is not alone, as she sleeps comfortably in the lap of a red-haired boy who has dozed off not too long after she had. He thinks it's nice to have friends, despite the age difference that exists—because Silvia isn't alone.

Come summertime, when the stifling heat makes a return for the season, Silvia has to part ways with her new friends. She is back to fishing with her father and while she is still too small, she's not as small as she was the year before. The fish no longer pose that much of a hassle to her, but she still has a few moments where the fish put up a fight before she deals the finishing blow.

Lucio laughs more often than he'd ever expect as he continues to throw fish after fish for Silvia to collect and place in the basket. He tries to make a game out of it as soon as he feels Silvia is strong enough to keep up. He deliberately keeps the fish alive for Silvia to kill—just to see how long it takes her before he throws another fish her way. And for two weeks, Silvia finds herself chasing after fish as they flop all over the ground. Quite a comedic sight to behold—but Lucio steps in when he feels he has to.

Eventually, Silvia starts to catch each fish before it hits the ground, eliminating any need for her to chase after the damn thing. She still struggles to keep the squirming fish in her arms, but it's nothing a nice body slam can't fix!

 _It's super effective!_

Silvia doesn't think much on how disturbing she should consider her actions. She is aware that what she does now is nothing she would have ever done in her past life (as far as she knows). But that was back then—this is now and really, she doesn't mind.

 _It's just fish…_

At the end of the day, someone is going to eat it. Otherwise, Silvia wouldn't have killed any fish. That's just how it is and Silvia sees nothing wrong with that.

 _People need to eat, after all._

As the end of summer approaches, there comes that one day where everyone works together to make food and tells stories under the starry night sky. Silvia's hands are balled up into tiny fists as she shakes with happiness. She's smiling so hard, that her cheeks are starting to hurt. She's been waiting for this day to come, because—because!

 _I can finally get some answers!_

But before night falls, Silvia decides to remind a certain red-haired boy of how much she's missed him by giving him one _hell_ of a greeting. On that very day, Rojo receives a grim reminder of what friendship truly is as he is tackled to the ground by a two-year-old girl. And like the self-proclaimed friend he is, Verde ensures that Rojo will never forget this day…starting by laughing his ass off at the red-haired boy's misfortune.

Amarillo laughs awkwardly, not knowing whether to be concerned or amused with what she has just witnessed. Azul solves the issue by reassuring Amarillo that Rojo's been through worse.

" _I'd worry more about your cousin instead of him,"_ Azul says as Rojo grabs Verde by the ankle and causes the green-haired boy to lose his balance.

 _Thud!_

Now both boys are on the ground and within each other's reach. Amarillo _barely_ manages to pull Silvia away, just mere seconds before Verde and Rojo start to fight. Amarillo clutches Silvia to her chest, panting heavily as she tries to calm her pounding heart.

" _Too close!"_ Amarillo really resents her cousin's tendency to pick fights with Rojo.

Azul laughs it off as pats Amarillo on the head. _"You worry too much!"_

" _I do not!"_ Amarillo insists as she pouts, suppressing the urge to blush when Azul calls her cute.

Silvia blinks as she listens to the two girls go back and forth with their conversation. While that happens, Verde and Rojo continue with their scuffle on the ground. They manage to attract quite a number of nearby children who find the entire spectacle entertaining. It helps pass the time and by the time Azul separates the two boys from each other, Silvia is amongst the children taking Rojo's side.

Silvia tries her hardest not to laugh that evening, when Azul tells the story of how it is that Verde obtained his black eye, while Rojo tries to hide his swollen left cheek. Laughter fills the air and adults start to recount the times when they were Verde and Rojo's age. The elders within the circle around the fire begin to smile, their hair of faded color billowing in the light summer breeze. To them, they appreciate the fact that people continue to remember and share their stories.

It's something that Silvia notices as well and finds that maybe…next time will be better. Next time—she'll get her answers. For now, she decides to enjoy the moments as they come—just like everyone else is.

Rojo and Verde do not hold any grudges—they see no reason to and it is why the two, despite what has happen, sit next to each other. Some say that's friendship, others say it could be more. The elderly woman with faded blue hair begins to chuckle, saying that it may be too early to judge. Even so, life goes on and whatever happens now may eventually become a story to tell, years from now.

 _I'll remember this…_

Because Silvia doesn't ever want to forget this day—she just doesn't. For as long as she possibly can, she wants to remember. She still wants to learn more about the outsiders, but for now—this is fine.

 _It's fine._

Weeks pass, the season changes, and once more, the forest surrounding Historia appears as if it's on fire. Silvia is now three years old and her hair now falls down to her waist. It's been quite a long time since her hair has ever gotten this long—at least, when she takes her past life into consideration. Her hair's length gives her a sense of comfort, despite how often she has to remove the leaves that get stuck in her hair at the end of each day.

She likes the way it feels against her finger, when she twirls her hair. She has a habit of doing that now—a habit that seems to have carried over from her past life. It gives her something to do and honestly, it's better than biting her nails. That nasty habit met its end when Silvia was months away from turning fourteen in her past life—courtesy of her recently obtained braces getting in the way.

 _I miss my braces…_

Silvia also misses everyone from her past. It's why she doesn't think too much about it, because of how overwhelming it can get when her memory lingers too long on a life that is no more. Really, it is better for her to live in the moment, just watching the leaves as they drift to the ground.

 _Like embers raining from the sky…_

Autumn is not that bad of a season, Silvia thinks, as she helps her father collect mushrooms, berries, and roots. She especially _loves_ it when it's windy, despite how chilly it can get. Because when the wind blows, the falling leaves begin to dance. It is a sight to behold.

It is also a very peaceful time, which is a nice change of pace after dealing with so many fish. The weather is also much more bearable, much to Silvia's relief… Frankly, anything is better than the stifling heat that summer brings.

…

…

After autumn, comes winter. The weather becomes quite chilly and the forest seems quite barren throughout a certain distance (after a certain point, there are trees that refuse to lose their leaves at all). Cecelia is much more proactive with hunting than usual. Silvia wonders what it is that her mother hunts—all she ever sees, after all, are whatever gets cooked for dinner that night. It's usually Lucio who cooks, because Cecelia is so exhausted.

Silvia just starts to count down the days when she can see her friends again and ask about the outsiders. She's quite impatient this time around and makes a beeline for Rojo the instant she sees his distinct red hair. Unlike last time, Rojo is prepared and he catches Silvia before she even has a chance to throw her body at him. Silvia needs a few moments to collect her thoughts, blinking when she finds herself held up in the air.

" _N-Not today,"_ Rojo tells her with a small smile.

Rojo is no longer eleven, but twelve. His hair has gotten even longer, though his height hasn't really changed. He looks so confident, because he's avoided a repeat of summer's events. He's standing tall as he holds up Silvia, who stares at him with the blankest expression she can make. It really boggles his mind on how it was that this three-year-old girl had tackled him to the ground, but he's learned his lesson.

" _Excuse me."_ Azul is grinning when she drops by to take Silvia out of Rojo's hands. Like Rojo, Azul is no longer eleven, but unlike him, she is taller than before. It is to Rojo's annoyance, as Silvia notices when his left eye twitches slightly when she points out that he is shorter than Azul.

Rojo silently fumes as Azul calmly walks away with Silvia sitting on her shoulders. Silvia looks back at Rojo, trying her hardest not to laugh because she's never seen the boy like this. She laughs anyways when a certain green-haired boy tackles Rojo to the ground. It's so easy for him to do, while Rojo is so distracted.

 _Mmm whatcha say…_

Rojo looks absolutely done with the world as he lays on the ground, pinned underneath Verde, who just laughs and laughs. Verde is not only the same age as Rojo, but also, taller. The height difference is extremely noticeable when both boys are standing next to each other. And when an eleven-year-old Amarillo runs up to see if Rojo is unharmed, Silvia laughs even harder because they're the _same height_.

 _I shouldn't be laughing._

But Silvia can't stop. She laughs and laughs, because it's just too funny. Tears stream down her cheeks and her stomach hurts from all that laughter. She has her regrets, though—because with intense laughter, comes…

 _Hic!_

 _Fucking hiccups!_

It is now Rojo's turn to laugh, now that the tables have turned—and ohhh, how they have _turned_. Silvia is in hell.

 _Hic!_

She is in fucking hell.

 _Hic!_

It hurts.

 _Hic!_

It's annoying.

 _Hic!_

 _Make it stop!_

 _Hic!_

Verde ruffles Silvia's hair as he gives her a sympathetic look she did not at all ask for. Her eyes narrow when Azul comments on how cute her hiccups are. Silvia did not ask for Azul's opinion—

 _Hic!_

Silvia scowls as Rojo continues to laugh. Karma is certainly a bitch when it wants to be…

 _Hic!_

 _But what comes around, goes around!_

Because now _Rojo_ has a bad case of the hiccups and Silvia is having the time of her life, watching the boy _suffer_. She points and laughs at the red-haired boy as he continues to hiccup.

 _Hic!_

And though her hiccups have yet to subside, it doesn't matter much to her now that Rojo is suffering alongside her. It's all the more glorious when Amarillo lightly admonishes Rojo for laughing so hard—he should have known better, after all.

…

…

It's late in the evening, when everyone gathers around the fire to tell stories, that Silvia _finally_ gets her answers. It starts when she asks a question that she absolutely has no idea how to word (she's so eager, impatient, and nervous—oh god, _why is everyone staring_?!), so everyone is confused with what it is she is asking…but Rojo knows. So he repeats the question Silvia has asked—only with much more clarity.

" _How did the outsiders get here?"_ It's such a simple question, but it gets the ball rolling.

The very first thing Silvia learns is that the outsiders are strong—it's a requirement. Otherwise, they'd never step foot in Historia. There's a reason why no one even discusses what goes on beyond Historia, and it is because there's not much to talk about when _no one can leave_. They couldn't, even if they tried—the forest is dangerous when one travels far enough and leaves the area that has been marked as a safe zone.

 _There's a fucking safe zone._

And the scary part is that it didn't always exist. This is _exactly_ what the old woman meant when she told her story of how dangerous Historia used to be. There's more to it, but the main point still stands is that leaving Historia is a damn near impossibility in the same way it is to enter. So for the outsiders to have even step foot in Historia, _alive_ , is something worth noting.

As for how it is they got to Historia—it was all an accident. _It was a freaking accident_ , because up until the moment that the outsiders step foot in Historia, they didn't even know it _existed_. Historia is not only so difficult to enter and leave, but it's also well hidden from the world beyond it. Basically, Historia is isolated and because of said isolation, it was really a matter of dumb luck that the outsiders even found the place.

 _Unbelievable…_

Silvia has no more questions to ask—not now, at least. She needs time to process the information she has received. It's a lot to take in and though her mentality may be that of an adult's, her body is still that of a child's. She has her limits, so she decides that she's good…

 _For now…_

…

…

…

* * *

A/N So like, I was hoping to get some more done for this chapter, but THEN HUNTER X HUNTER UPDATED BECAUSE IT GOT OFF THE HIATUS AND I DECIDED TO COMMEMORATE THIS OCCASION, HAVE THIS CHAPTER!

Colores is Spanish for colors (plural), which can refer to the names of Silvia's friends, who are named after colors. Amarillo is yellow (give it some time—you'll find out why she's named after the color yellow eventually), Azul is blue, Rojo is red, and Verde is green. Oh, and just as a reminder, with the exception of Amarillo and her extremely orange hair (again, give her name some time), Rojo, Azul, and Verde—their hair is pretty dark with colored undertones that refer back to their name. In the case of Verde…well, I'll give you an example of how his hair would look and basically, think of Midoriya Izuku (AKA, Deku) from My Hero Academia, which I have now started reading.

You can blame **kurobook** for that and while I'm on the subject of my writing buddy, send her lots of love for making this story's AWESOME cover! Like seriously, SO AWESOME and just—yeah, it's so pretty and ahhh…JUST SEND HER SOME LOVE! Maybe even check out her _One Piece_ SI OC, _Barrel of Fun!_ Also, do send some love to **Plouton** as well, because, like **kurobook** , she's also helped me out with the world building for this fic and just…send them both love (and also check out her _One Piece_ SI OC fic, _Murphy's Law_ ).

ANYWAYS, Azul is pretty much like that one anime character with dark hair that looks black, but is blue. And I don't know if you guys haven't caught on, but the focus on their hair is intentional—I'll go into it later, but it's something to keep in mind.

So yeah, here I am, trying to progress with this fic, WHEN SUDDENLY THE OC INQUISITION POPS UP (NO ONE EVER EXPECTS THE OC INQUISITION!) AND…yeah, so now you have these surprise OCs who I have gotten too attached to, so they're here to stay as well. You got some more world building here for Historia and some conditioning methods shown through Lucio and Silvia (the fish game). Oh, and Silvia continues to go without any spoken dialogue, while the others have managed to say a few words themselves. That's a bit intentional for reasons I won't say now, except…just keep that eventual language barrier in mind. Once it kicks in, that is.

So let's get on with the shout outs, now that this story's reached over ten reviews and holy crap, thank you guys so much for your kind words!

Reviewer #10: **Vegolasify**

Honorable mentions: **applesofiddun** , **Plouton** , **CarlaAether** , **Madin456** , anonymous reviewer **AnonPerson Thing** , **deletrear** (GO AND CHECK OUT THEIR FICS, LIKE REALLY), **kylC**

Seriously guys, thank you so much for taking the time to read and review! It means so much to me and just for the hell of it, I'm gonna ask again: Is there anything you're looking forward to from me when it comes to this fic?

I'll keep asking, just in case anyone has anything to say. I wanna keep an open mind, since there's so much that can be done in this fic! After all, we're just getting started and there's so much more to come! That's about it for now, so until next time! KD out! XD


	5. Conexión

Silvia thinks a lot more than usual as she waits for the arrival of spring. It's still winter and she is collecting herbs with her father again in the same location as last year. Nothing much has really changed, she finds. Which is why she starts to think a lot more about what she now knows. It's hard not to. She just has so many questions.

 _Where_ _ **are**_ _we?_

That is Silvia's biggest question, considering how _little_ she actually knows of her own home. She understands the existence of social classes, which could potentially limit her access to ever learning more about Historia (potentially, she mentally emphasizes in an attempt to show some optimism—she still has _some_ hope). But she still wants to learn—she's just so _curious_. She wants to learn as much as she can, because it's frustrating having limited knowledge on her own home.

She only knows what she has seen and heard. It's not as though she has access to the internet or a library to give her the answers she wants, which leads to another question.

 _ **When**_ _are we?_

Silvia doubts she'll ever receive an accurate answer to that question, since it might not even be of any use. This world is not the same as the one from her past life for a date to mean anything—she needs more context than just that. Past, present, future—she wants to know when she is, using her past life's setting as a basis. Where she currently stands, she knows too little.

 _One who knows nothing can understand nothing._

It annoys her that a quote from her past life can have so much relevance to her situation. It annoys her, but she there isn't much she can do about it…not yet, at least. Maybe when she's older—she's only three, after all.

…

…

It's spring when Silvia reunites with one of her friends again. She's smiling as she looks up at Rojo, who looks down at her with such concern and perplexity. He has no idea what to say—if he should scold Silvia or praise her. He has no idea, because it is under completely different circumstances that he and Silvia see each other again—when the two of them are at the center of Historia.

Silvia isn't supposed to be here, Rojo thinks. She isn't, because she's not supposed to leave her group—she's not old enough. But somehow, she is and Rojo has no idea what to do because _she looks so_ _ **happy**_ and the last thing he wants her to be is **sad**. He takes a moment to calm himself down, breathing in deeply before exhaling slowly. He kneels down to Silvia's level and very gently, he pats her on the head.

" _G-Good job,"_ he hesitantly says. He feels he might regret giving Silvia praise for doing something she wasn't supposed to do. But he also feels he might regret it if he didn't. She's safe—that's all that matters to him. In the center of Historia, it is mostly safe… _mostly_. It's much easier to stay out of trouble than in the forest at the least. He'll just have to keep a closer eye on her from here on out.

It isn't that difficult of a task, since Silvia stays so closely by his side.

" _Why is she here?!"_

What _is_ difficult is having to endure a lengthy lecture from Amarillo when she discovers that Silvia is with him. A small bead of sweat rolls down the side of his face as he looks up at Amarillo, who stares down at him with such a stern look. She'd be a lot less intimidating, he thinks, had she not gone through another growth spurt and ended up taller than him. It really is just his luck that the only thing about him that has grown is his hair.

At the very least, Silvia seems to like his long hair. Rojo finds comfort in that thought as Silvia plays with his hair, not paying any attention at all to Amarillo as she continues her lecture.

…

Amarillo is still in the middle of her lecture when Verde and Azul come across them. It takes Azul a couple of seconds to realize what's going on before she bursts into a fit of laughter. Verde does nothing, but stare at Silvia. She's not supposed to be here…but she is. She is also braiding Rojo's long hair…well, as best as she can, with how short she is.

Verde runs his fingers through his hair and sighs. A small smile tugs at the corner of his lips. He can't keep himself from smiling. He finds humor in the situation. At the same time, he is also happy to see Silvia again. Rojo always seems so much more expressive when she's around. Verde likes it when Rojo is expressive—because he can see him smiling more often.

Rojo is not smiling right now, so Verde decides to help him out and walks in between him and Amarillo. Amarillo is somewhat confused and annoyed, but before she has a chance to complain, Verde says, _"She's already here—there's not much we can do now, but keep an eye on her. We can do that, right?"_

" _R-Right…"_ Rojo nervously replies as he turns to face Silvia. She pouts at him for interrupting her, because _dammit_ , she was almost done with that braid! He laughs and places his hand on top of her head. _"We can."_

Verde looks at Amarillo, who puffs up her cheeks in annoyance. She almost protests— _almost_. She shakes her head and, very reluctantly, says, _"Fine."_

Azul stops laughing then and takes the moment to tease Amarillo for worrying too much. She places a reassuring hand on Amarillo's shoulder, to which Amarillo responds by lightly smacking it away. Amarillo pouts and Azul, once again, starts to laugh.

Verde chuckles lightly as he turns his attention to Rojo and Silvia. She's still not supposed to be here…but she _is_ with them and supposes that's fine.

" _Th-Thank you…"_ Rojo mutters as he lifts Silvia off the ground.

His voice is barely audible, but Verde heard him clearly. He blinks a few times and smiles as he places a hand on top of Rojo's head. He really likes it when Silvia is around. Because Rojo has never been so talkative until she came around. And Verde likes it when Rojo talks. He just does.

" _It's fine."_ It means that Verde can talk to Rojo like this. It's such a simple conversation, but Verde likes it. He likes talking to Rojo—because it means they're no longer fighting. _"Let's get going."_

…

…

At the center of Historia, there are no dirt paths or streets in sight—only cobblestone. It's hard and feels even colder than the mud and dirt that Silvia is too used to walking on. It would be easy to ignore it if she was wearing shoes, but Silvia is not—she won't be wearing any footwear until winter. She wonders how her friends can walk on something so… _different_. So she asks Rojo, who simply reassures her that she'll get used to it eventually.

Silvia takes another step and makes a face. "Eventually" is not soon enough for her…but it'll have to do, she guesses. Or at least until Rojo decides to carry her again—that could work, too. Silvia does not at all protest when he lifts her off the ground without any warnings. Instead, she grabs a handful of Rojo's hair and starts to braid it. By the time she and the others have reached their intended destination, Rojo's long hair is full of multiple braids of differing lengths and sizes.

Rojo expects someone laugh at him when he looks at his friends. Azul chuckles a bit and a few giggles escape Amarillo's mouth, but Verde is surprisingly quiet. Now that Rojo actually thinks about it, when was the last time Verde has actually laughed at him?

 _When?_

Rojo can only wonder. It's not bad—just strange. Of course, today has been a rather strange day for him. After all, Silvia is here and Rojo has no idea what to do…so the two end up sitting together at the water fountain.

The water fountain is of an elaborate design, with water that falls into the basin from three different levels. It is far larger than any water fountain Silvia has ever seen in any of her lives, outside of the books she once read in her previous life. She is surprised to see that it is fully functional.

 _How?_

Silvia sure doesn't know (if she even _wants_ to know), but it only reminds her of the class differences that exist. She puffs up her cheeks as she dips her hands into the water. She is both annoyed and—whoa, that's _cold_!

" _C-Careful,"_ Rojo suddenly says as he grabs Silvia by the back of her shirt. _"You c-could get sick if you fall in."_

Rojo pulls Silvia onto his lap and takes both of her hands into his. He is not at all surprised when he feels how cold her hands are in his. Even though it's spring, traces of winter still linger. The water is still far too chilly for anyone's comfort.

" _You need to be more c-careful."_ Rojo has no idea how he feels with the idea of something bad happening to Silvia—especially since she is under his watch. _"Yes?"_

Silvia thinks about it for a moment. There is so much she wants to do and it annoys her when she is kept from doing so. But she also knows better and Rojo is worried about her wellbeing. It wouldn't be fair for her to make him worry so much. So she leans back into Rojo and sighs.

She'll behave. It won't be easy for her, since she gets excited all too easily—but she'll try. She will definitely try.

" _Th-Thank you,"_ he tells her in such a quiet voice. She nods her head only once before closing her eyes. It is at that moment that Rojo starts to hum. His thumbs trace gentle circles onto her hands in his attempts to warm them. It has such a calming effect on her that she doesn't mind if they stay like this all day.

Even though Silvia wants to look around—to take in her new surroundings—she is completely fine with this. She is okay, because she's with her friends again… Of course, it's just her and Rojo right now. Verde, Azul, and Amarillo are off elsewhere, talking to the various shopkeepers and vendors in the area. There are a lot of them, but that's to be expected in a marketplace.

According to Rojo, this particular marketplace is where the upper class most often frequents. Silvia has yet to see anyone from the upper class, but Verde tells her that she'll know it when she sees one. She almost laughs, because it sounds like he's making a joke…but then she sees the serious look on his face and realizes that he isn't.

 _I'm not sure I like the sound of that, now…_

And she doesn't, because it takes every fiber of Silvia's being to not laugh at the gaudy mess of colors she sees on an adult man that Azul has targeted. She can't take the man seriously, even though she's supposed to, being part of the upper class. His clothes stand out so badly, in ways she can tell are impractical. It's such a waste—it really is.

When it comes to clothing, the upper class gets the best of both worlds—the durability of lower class clothing and the lively colors of middle class clothing. Silvia omits fashionable as a trait, because she _refuses_ to acknowledge something so incredibly ostentatious as such. It's still a hell of a lot more color than Silvia is used to seeing on clothing and it annoys her because it looks so _wrong_.

 _I guess that's one way to flaunt your status…_

Though, at the end of the day, status doesn't seem to matter much when Azul proudly shows off the bracelet she stole from the man. He never paid much attention to her when she was carefully tiptoeing around him. The most he did was just call her an annoying brat and that was that.

 _Ohh_ , how he'll probably come to regret that when he realizes he's missing the bracelet he recently bought. At least, that's what Azul says. Silvia doesn't know how she knows it's recently bought, but then Rojo explains that this is why the talk with the shopkeepers and vendors in the area—it gives them targets.

" _I'll give it back tomorrow,"_ Azul says. _"The shopkeeper has an extra, so there's no rush to return it to her."_

" _Always make sure, though,"_ Amarillo tells Silvia. _"Just in case."_

It's all for convenience, since the shopkeeper might see an immediate return of their customer, who are in need of a replacement for the item they recently bought. The upper class are quick to replace their stolen items, as they see no need to treat it as anything other than a minor nuisance. It is only their children that complain.

" _It's not appropriate for adults to complain over something as minor as that,"_ Verde explains. _"So it's always better to go after them."_

" _But be c-careful,"_ Rojo warns Silvia. _"Avoid m-meeting their eyes. Aaand if y-you see one of them approaching you—run. Just run and_ _ **don't**_ _stop."_

A shiver goes down Silvia's spine. There is something increasingly unsettling about the tone in Rojo's voice. He stares at her with such a grave expression that looks so wrong—because she's never seen him like this. It makes her feel sick, her stomach coiling unpleasantly with anxiety.

No one's laughing—Verde is averting his gaze and Azul no longer seems that proud of her steal. Amarillo is trembling, her eyes beginning to glisten with unshed tears.

Silvia almost asks what happened, but then Rojo places a shaky hand on her shoulder and says, _"L-L-Let's just go."_

They don't talk much on the way back—there's not much to talk about after that. Rojo exhales shakily, feeling rather guilty for the change in their mood. He was probably better off staying quiet, but he knows better than that.

Never again—that's all he can think as he holds Silvia closely to himself. He stays with her at the practice fields, even when Azul, Verde, and Amarillo leave for the forest. He finds that he just can't leave Silvia alone after that.

Rojo forces a smile when Lucio returns for his daughter after a day's worth of hard work. He's surprised to see him there, but Lucio just laughs it off.

" _Was she any trouble?"_ he asks as means of striking a conversation.

Rojo blinks…and shakes his head. _"N-None at all."_

He doesn't mention that Silvia followed him all the way into the center of Historia. He'll tell Lucio later, when the unpleasant memories aren't so vivid. And when Silvia asks if he'll come by again tomorrow, he responds, _"Of c-course."_

…

…

It's only Rojo that leaves the forest once he's done tending to his assigned field. Amarillo, Azul, and Verde stay behind, saying that today is not a good day. It's probably because of the warning he gave Silvia the other day…

On his way out, he passes by the overseer of this field, a black-haired woman from the middle class. She doesn't show much emotion towards him and just watches him with half-lidded eyes. Her expression is quite common amongst the middle class—it's a look of perpetual apathy and boredom. It's an expression that comes from generations of working underneath the upper class from such a close proximity.

At least, that's what Rojo has been told and honestly, he wouldn't blame the middle class for always looking so weary with the world. It's a look that is mostly absent from their children until the day comes when they realize how _little_ they actually matter to the upper class, despite their many contributions to Historia.

To the lower class, however… _"Hey—be careful. There's been another disappearance."_

To the lower class, the middle class matters—they matter and in turn, the lower class matters to them. There is mutual respect shared between the two classes, in the face of the third class that couldn't care less about either of them. It's funny, Rojo thinks, because the upper class would be at a complete loss without them. He wonders why they haven't done something about that yet and decides that maybe there are just some things he still doesn't know.

For now, he just feels very, very _sick_.

" _Ah…I see…"_ It's not news that Rojo likes to hear and right now, all he hopes that it isn't someone he knows. _"Th-Thank you."_

" _It's nothing—just stay safe."_ He acknowledges the slight urgency in her warning and keeps it in his thoughts long after she's out of sight.

…

…

It's only when he notices that he's all alone in the forest, with no one else in sight, that an overwhelming wave of nausea hits him. He stumbles and falls onto the ground. The dirt feels soft and moist—it's all he can think as he empties the contents of his stomach onto the ground. He coughs hard, retching a few more times as tears stream down his cheeks.

He's such a fool to think that way about the person who disappeared—that it might not hurt as much if it turns out to be someone he doesn't know. He knows it's going to hurt anyways, because someone else will have to deal with the aftermath for years to come. Someone else is going to suffer, because there's nothing that can't be done about it—those who disappear are gone for good.

Just like his father, who he barely remembers because he was so young when it happened. He can only wonder what could have been, had he not disappeared. Had he not disappeared, then Amarillo's mother wouldn't have needed to take him in when he was all alone. He would have had his father to care for him after his mother was pronounced dead in a hunting incident that was waved off as a complete accident by the upper class guards who were sent to investigate. He knows it's not an accident, though—he's been told by those who were with her that day to not trust those guards.

He knows now that she disappeared, too…and he hates it. He hates it, because every once in a while, he'll stop to think about her. He wonders if she's getting enough to eat—if she's fine. He wonders where she is right now, as he thinks about her—if she's thinking about him, too. He thinks the same about his father, because it's hard not to.

He's thinking about both of them now, because he's scared—he's so scared. He's so scared, because…because…because because because because because because because because because because because—what if he disappears too?

" _I d-don't want to d-disappear…"_

…

Verde wasn't planning on leaving the forest today, but something felt very, very wrong to him. So he decided to go after Rojo, who had already been gone for more than half an hour. He frowns when he comes across his friend on the ground and sees that he's crying. Sobs wrack his body and every few seconds or so, he hiccups.

It's been a while since he's seen Rojo like this. There's been another disappearance recently, so Verde can only assume that Rojo was thinking about his parents. He wouldn't blame him for reacting this way. It's hard…and he _really_ regrets how he's treated Rojo when he changed so much after his mother disappeared. He just wanted his friend back, that's all… He didn't know what to do when Rojo suddenly went so quiet for a while. And now, when he talks, he talks with a stutter.

It's not his fault though—how can it be his fault? If anything, it's Verde's fault that he wasn't that good of a friend when Rojo needed him the most. But that's all in the past—this is now, when he's doing much more than before, instead of just teasing his friend. Because he likes it when Rojo smiles. And he smiles most, nowadays, when he's with Silvia.

Verde walks over to Rojo and kneels down by his side. He holds out his hand and calmly, he asks, _"Do you want to see Silvia?"_

Rojo has a hard time saying anything, so he just nods his head and grabs onto Verde's hand. He never lets go, even after Verde helps him stand up. Verde frowns, but says nothing as he carefully goes about switching which hand Rojo is holding, so that the two don't have any issues walking together.

…

…

Rojo is looking a lot better by the time they leave the forest. He still refuses to release Verde's hand, though, but Verde doesn't say much. It's only when they come across Silvia that Rojo finally lets go and runs towards her. He lifts Silvia off the ground and spins her around a few times as laughter bubbles up in his throat. A wide smile crosses his face while he's hugging Silvia, who just laughs and laughs.

She's happy—and so is Rojo. And the longer he stares, the more Verde feels the same. Soon, he starts smiling and for some reason, his face feels warm. There's a fluttering in his chest that confuses him and makes him wonder if he's sick. He quickly shrugs it off and decides that it's nothing.

And really, it's nothing, because everything is fine. Rojo is smiling and so is Silvia. It takes Verde's mind off of recent events that _aren't_ so fine.

…

By midafternoon, Verde finds himself sitting next to Rojo as they watch a group of children play from a distance. Silvia sits on Rojo's lap, with his arms wrapped around her in a warm embrace. She struggles to stay awake, her head bobbing up and down each time she catches herself nodding off. It startles Rojo at first, but after the fourth time it's happened, he's used to it.

A few minutes pass and Rojo almost thinks nothing of it until he realizes that Silvia hasn't moved in a while. So he looks down and smiles when he sees that she's asleep.

" _N-Nothing's changed much…h-has it?"_ Rojo asks Verde.

Verde pauses for a moment to think. He thinks and thinks and when almost a minute has passed, he turns to Rojo and says, _"Wrong!"_

Rojo blinks, his face heating up with a blush. _"I-Is that so?"_

" _Yeah,"_ Verde replies with a wide smile on his face. _"Because this time, it's not just you and Silvia—I'm here, too."_

Even though he doesn't have to be, Verde chooses to—because he wants to.

" _And I won't be going away anytime soon…"_ Verde's tone is soft and his words are reassuring to Rojo. _"Just so you know."_

Verde knows that Rojo is still scared about the disappearances. He's also scared, too, but this isn't about him—this is about his friend, who's still hurting.

" _Th-Thank you…"_ Rojo says with a smile on his face.

Verde laughs and looks away. _"What are you thanking me for?"_

" _For being m-my friend…"_ Rojo's answer catches Verde by surprise. It's what he least expects and he finds that he's too stunned for words. So he just continues averting his gaze, guilt twisting and turning within his stomach.

" _Friend…"_ Verde repeats almost wistfully. _"That's right…"_

He's a bad friend, though, for what he's done in the past. He's never been much support for Rojo when his mother disappeared. Verde was too busy thinking of himself, wanting things to quickly go back the way they were before that day. He knows now that things won't ever be the same, but he didn't know that then, when he kept pestering Rojo to say something because his silence was frightening.

He's glad Azul was there to slap some sense into him. And though he never really meant to hurt anyone with his teasing, he's also glad Amarillo was there to tell him to stop when it got out of hand. And now…now he's glad Silvia is here, to make him think twice about how Rojo feels for once.

He regrets that it took until the day Rojo fought back and gave him a black eye instead of the day that Silvia threw mud at his face for him to get a clue, however. He deserved that black eye…what he doesn't deserve, though…

" _I don't deserve a friend like you…"_ Verde knows he hasn't apologized yet and he's willing to do so now, when the time feels so right. He doesn't care if Rojo forgives him or not—it's Rojo's choice, after all. Just like it's been his choice to stay around Verde instead of pushing him away. _"You know…I should be thanking you, instead."_

Silence is all he gets as a response and it's only until he notices a weight on his shoulder that he turns to see what it is. He finds that Rojo has fallen asleep, his head leaning against his shoulder. Verde's not sure for how long, but he's not in any rush to wake him up—not when Rojo's sleeping so peacefully.

Verde almost wants to laugh, because it's just his luck that this happens… He doesn't. Instead, he decides that he'll try again some other day.

He closes his eyes and sighs. _"Maybe tomorrow…"_

…

…

When Lucio goes to pick up his daughter, he finds her sleeping with Verde and Rojo, who are also asleep. It surprises him at first, but he quickly shrugs it off. He can't choose whom his daughter befriends, though he _can_ have a say in it. However, he doesn't see much reason to say anything. Right now, his main concern is deciding whether or not he wants to wake any of them up.

He doesn't want to, but he ends up doing so anyways, albeit reluctantly. He needs to take Silvia home and he knows that Verde and Rojo have to go home, too. It isn't safe to stay out so late, after all. There is safety in numbers and it'll be a while before they have enough numbers to do so.

Until then, it's best to take as many precautions to avoid another disappearance so soon after the one that had already occurred. By now, everyone should know about it…everyone except maybe his daughter, Silvia. He doesn't expect her to know yet, but she will eventually, even though he'd rather she learn about it when she's older.

Because Silvia shouldn't have to worry about something so dire, like he does so every day, when he wonders if it'll be the last day he sees Cecelia after they go their separate ways in the morning. He wonders if he'll be next, because the disappearances can happen at any given time within the forest. No one knows if it can happen outside of the forest and the last thing anyone wants to do is take any chances.

It saddens him, because there used to be a time when being out too early or too late wasn't such a safety hazard. He wasn't that much older than Rojo when it became one. It happened shortly after he lost his parents, when Rojo's father suddenly disappeared. He had been one of the first of many people to disappear. It was huge shock at first, with no one knowing what to do until it happened again.

It was only after that when everyone decided to minimize as many risks as possible. It took time for everyone to adjust, but they managed within the span of a couple of years. People still disappear from time to time, but not in the numbers that they used to. Lucio would rather they didn't disappear at all—much like everyone else.

The upper class couldn't give a damn about the disappearances, waving it off as accidents caused by carelessness. It's not, though…it's not. But there's no use telling them that, when they're too busy interacting with the outsiders.

The outsiders are still such a mystery to them, despite how much time has passed since they first appeared. They're still considered a most recent phenomenon by the elders, whose sense of time differs from everyone else's. It's likely a result of their life experience combined with the stories of the past that they have to share.

There's a rumor Lucio has heard about one of the outsiders—that only one of them understands and speaks their language. How and why—Lucio doesn't know. No one does…this is as much as anyone knows, from what little they hear of what goes on within the walls that separate them from the upper class.

It's frustrating, but there's not much that can be done. So Lucio tends to focus on the things he can do, instead of what he can't. It what helps him get through the day at times, whenever his anxiety spikes up.

He forces a smile when he parts ways with Verde and Rojo, ignoring the feeling of dread that's bubbling in the pit of his stomach. He tries to distract himself by making small talk with Silvia. It helps a bit, but not much.

When they arrive home, Lucio tries not to make his impatience apparent when he keeps an eye out for Cecelia. Silvia doesn't pay much attention, though she does end up asking where her mother is when it comes to her attention that she's running late.

" _She's probably on her way home…"_ Lucio hopes she is, because Cecelia is sometimes late. There were a few times, in the past, that she didn't come home at all, but that was only because she was resting up at the healer's place. He hopes that's the case if she doesn't come home…because he's not sure what he'll do if it's Cecelia that disappears next.

Relief washes over him when he catches the familiar scent of medicinal ointment that wafts into the air and sees that Cecelia has returned home. She's had quite a successful day today, being able to bring home an extra slab of raw meat from today's hunt. It's been a while since they had meat for dinner, which is why she looks so delighted when she shows it off to Lucio and Silvia.

Lucio finds himself smiling and when Cecelia walks over to him to hand him the meat, he catches her by surprise with a sudden embrace. He rests his chin on top of her shoulder, paying no mind to her scent and the sweat that clings to her clothes. He's just so happy to see her again.

" _Long day?"_ she asks him.

" _I guess you can say that,"_ he replies, deciding that it's best to keep quiet about his concerns, so as to avoid ruining the mood.

…

Silvia doesn't consider her parents to be the lovey-dovey sort of type. Which is why their current behavior surprises her, because they usually aren't like this. She almost feels left out…

 _Well, not on my watch!_

Without even thinking much about it, she charges forward and slams into her father's legs. It surprises him at first, but then he starts to laugh. Her face heats up as she adjusts herself so that she's hugging both Lucio and Cecelia. It's hard, though, being so short and so small…but she manages to have her arms wrapped around their legs. Warmth blooms within her chest when Cecelia reaches down to ruffle her hair, saying, _"I love you."_

 _Love you too, Mama…_

…

…

Rojo isn't alone when he traverses through the forest this time. Unlike yesterday, Verde accompanies him from the start. There's a small smile on Rojo's face as he looks ahead, because yes, he feels he can get through the day without any issues. He's not alone, after all.

" _Hey, Rojo…"_ Verde suddenly says.

" _Hmm?"_ Rojo turns to Verde, who's carefully contemplating what to say next.

" _About yesterday—no…not just yesterday…"_ Verde bit his lip as past memories resurfaced within his mind. _"Before then…I-I haven't been that good of a friend aaaaaand I want to apologize! I'm sorry for being such a jerk to you…"_

It's such a shitty way for him to apologize, but it's better than saying nothing at all.

" _You deserve so much better, and yet you still choose to keep me around…"_ Verde continues. _"So thank you—for being my friend, I mean."_

Rojo stops walking at that moment, catching Verde by surprise. He stops walking, too, and turns around to face Rojo. Rojo looks down at his feet in thought, thinking over everything Verde has told him. A few minutes pass before he lifts his head and looks at Verde with a smile.

" _Thank you for telling me that,"_ is all he says. It's all he can say, because it takes an overwhelming amount of strength to keep himself from stuttering.

 _Ba-dump! Ba-dump!_

Verde blinks a few times, a smile slowly forming on his lips. He rubs the back of his head, laughing when he feels his heart speed up. He can't really describe what it is, but he's happy…so very, _very_ happy.

…

Some time passes before Verde and Rojo finally leave the forest to meet up with Silvia. When she sees them, she notices something different about them. It's subtle, but _definitely_ there. Whatever it is, it doesn't seem so bad, so she doesn't think too much about it.

…

It'll be a few years before _anyone_ , including Rojo and Verde, can figure it out. But until then, life goes on as usual.

…

…

…

* * *

A/N So hey, it's been a while and…yeah, a lot has happened since I last updated this fic. A friend of mine committed suicide in October, November fucking **happened** (just so you know, you guys _always_ have a safe place here with me and my fics), I failed one of my classes last semester (thankfully, my past grades cushioned the F so my GPA didn't suffer)…oh, and I passed a tax training course…

There's a lot more that happened, but otherwise, I'm doing fine. I should probably mention that I'm now taking a Japanese class at my university and guess who added chemistry as their second major? Me, so yeah…that's something, lol.

Now for some good news, I wrote a few more SI OC fics! We have _Que Será, Será_ , the SI!Fem!Naruto fic that no one ever asked for. I actually made an SIOC for _My Hero Academia_ , so check out _Tempo Rubato_ if you're interested in that (lol, I need to fucking update that fic). I reworked chapters 1-5 of my SI!Fem!Tsuna fic, _Apathy_ , so some things might have been expanded upon and changed, so yeah… And as of recently, my zany adventures from playing _Kingdom Hearts Unchained X_ (of which has been posted on my tumblr, klonoadreams, under the tag Klonoa Plays a Game) resulted in the eventual creation of the KHUX SI OC fic _Manifest Eccentric_.

Do feel free to check any of them out if you wish, let's get on with this chapter, shall we? So like…this chapter—it's world building, really. That's what it is. I had a lot of issues with it until I finally changed the perspective, so do expect that to happen from here on out, because there's only so much we can learn about Historia through Silvia's eyes. So I sure hope you like my OCs! Yeahhhh…like, is anyone aware that Rojo (red), Verde (green), Azul (blue), and Yellow (yellow) are basically _Pokémon_ references? Because that's what they are, which, funnily enough, is now relevant with the release of _Pokémon Sun and Moon_ bringing back Trainers Red and Green (AKA, Blue).

Anyways, there's a lot more going on Historia than what meets the eyes. The people of the upper class are huge dicks with an extremely bad taste in fashion and the outsiders get mentioned at least once (yeah, they've been there for a while—it just seems recent to the elders because their sense of time differs from everyone else's). The people of the middle class are a lot more decent and in fact, put up with a lot more shit because of the upper class. You can think of them as retail workers…because that's what I've been comparing them, because really, retail workers put up with a lot of shit they don't really deserve (be nice to retail workers, by the way).

And just to clarify some things, the lower class steals from the upper class, which they give back to the middle class, who are the ones the upper class goes for wares. So the lower and middle classes are in cahoots with each other, because neither of them likes the upper class (no one does, except maaaybe the outsiders… _maybe_ ).

So the translation for the title of this chapter is connection! That is what conexión means…yes. Make what you will of that title. ;)

Shout out to friend **Plouton** for helping me out, as usual, as well as **kurobook**. And speaking of shout outs, I got some reviewers to mention!

Reviewer #20: **The Overlord's 8th Bride**

Honorable mentions: **applesofiddun** , **Ondine de la Mer** , anonymous reviewer **AnonPerson Thing** , **kylC** , **Madin456** , **Llyrica** , **Krystalana** (your English is fine, don't worry and sorry if I haven't responded to your review, I forget sometimes!)

Sorry if I haven't been replying to your reviews, but I get busy sometimes and just forget, but just know that I always appreciate getting any reviews in general! It really means a lot, so thank you to everyone who's taken the time to review! Don't worry if English isn't your first language, either, because I know how hard it is to learn another language and to be quite frank, English is a fucking monstrosity to learn, so yeah, kudos to anyone who doesn't have English as their first language—you guys are **amazing**. Just keep it up!

That's about it for now, **kurobook** 's waiting for me to get this chapter up so I can load up my PS4 (which I now have, yay!) to play Final Fantasy XIV! We got a game to play, so until next time, everyone! KD out! XD


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